


The Third Sin

by bluemisfortune



Series: ROAN AU [23]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-05-22
Packaged: 2018-11-03 12:13:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10966995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemisfortune/pseuds/bluemisfortune
Summary: III for the sins that had been committed against their family. III for the lives that had been torn apart.





	The Third Sin

 Michael had been sixteen when he became III. 

 A message marked Tron came into his inbox. Michael had clicked despite everything telling him not to. The message inside had been earthshaking. 

 Three simple pictures. Three simple labels. 

 

 One.

 Chris, Thomas, Michael and their parents. They stood in the gardens. Thomas’ dog at his side. Michael held in his mother’s arms. Chris smiling with their father. They were happy and safe and together. Michael had held up his own battered, torn photo against the screen. The same photo. 

 

 Two.

 Thomas and Chris. Young teens. The pair chatting together, smiling awkwardly, keeping a distance as if they weren’t brothers. As if they barely knew each other. Both stood in the formal robes of nobles. Both veils pushed back. There was a crown in Thomas’ hands. There was a headdress in Chris’. 

 

 Three.

 The Second Prince Heartland. Michael remembered it. He’d been thirteen. Watching as The Second Prince was sentenced to death for murdering a Paladin. For being a Number. But that one moment, Michael realised someone he could never turn away from. The crown that was being taken from The Second Prince, was the same as the one Thomas had held in his hands.

 

 Three times the Heartland empire struck against him. 

 

 Three terrible sins committed against him. 

 

_  III.  _

 

 IV had come soon after. He’d contacted him from nowhere. III didn’t know who IV was. One of the points of them was that none of them knew the identity of the others. But III and IV got along. More than anyone else III had ever met, IV lit up his world. V came a few years later but it’s IV that III loves more than anything. 

 And it’s IV that III thinks of now. The man who’s encouraged him from some unreachable distance for years. They could never meet and now about it. They could never be side by side in battle. But that’s alright. He can never be with Thomas again either. The people he loves are always out of reach.

 

 III holds his sword steadily as Photon Dragon raises his sabre. 

 “You’ve been an interesting opponent, III,” Photon Dragon says. “But this is the end. Confess your sins, tell me why you’ve put yourself into the position, and there may yet be mercy.” 

 “Mercy?” III hisses back beneath his visor. “You have never shown me mercy in my life, why start now?”

 “We know each other?” he says, lowering his sword a little. 

 There’s a moment of hesitation and III goes straight in for the kill. He doesn’t care. He throws himself forward. Their swords class and III can barely keep up. He knew Photon Dragon was strong. He knew he was the strongest Paladin. The man who’d sent his Thomas to his death. But III has to try.

 “You’re not bad,” Photon Dragon hisses. “You should surrender though.”

 “I should,” III replies. “But I won’t.” 

 He parries Dragon’s sword away. He throws himself forward with all he has. He imagines IV would encourage him to be done with Photon Dragon once and for all. He imagines Thomas would too given his parting speech as he was sentenced to death. Even if there’s little hope, III wants to beat the odds.

 

 There’s a searing pain and III staggers. He glances down at the blood on his clothes. On Dragon’s sword. When had that happened? He stares down at the blood. His legs give out and he’s left helpless, barely able to breathe as Dragon approaches. He yanks off III’s helmet and tosses it aside.

 “You are familiar,” Dragon says. “Tell me your name. Surrender to the empire.”

 “I’m III,” he replies, lifting his chin in defiance as much as he can. “And I won’t surrender to the likes of you.”

 “As you wish.”

 He raises his sabre and Michael’s closes his eyes as it plunges down at him. 

 Metal clangs together. There’s no pain. He lifts his gaze slowly. Another Paladin has blocked the blow. Dragon staggers back and the strange Paladin holds out his sabre for a moment before his hand blazes, held up in at obvious threat.

  _Number._

 “You’re here too?” Dragon hisses. 

 “Get out before I kill you,” the stranger replies. “And pray he lives.”

 “What are you- Leo-”

 “I’ve told you about calling me that! I’m 88 and nothing more! Just 88. Now get out! This is your last chance!”

 Dragon turns away. “This place is going to be blown to pieces in five minutes… 88…”

 

 The Paladin drops to his knees, pulling Michael close and he can’t fight it. He can’t do anything but reach up and pull at the white helmet, leaving bloodstained smears over it. It won't come off but III smiles anyway.

 “I’m here, Michael,” he whispers. “It’s taken me so long to find you. I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you. Just like I promised.” 

 “IV?” He nods and Michael smiles bitterly. “You’re a Paladin? And a Number? You really are as amazing as I always thought. I’m glad I got to meet you in the end.”

 “Don’t talk like this is the end, idiot,” IV says, shaking his head. He lifts Michael carefully and it’s all Michael can do to wrap his arms gingerly around his shoulders. He finally got to meet IV in person. He finally gets to hold him close. “I’m gonna get you to a hospital and you’re going to be just fine.” 

 “I’m going to see Thomas again,” Michael says with a small smile. IV frowns. “Did you know, IV? Did I tell you? My big brother Thomas, he was part of the Heartland monarchy. He was executed.”

 “Don’t you know the conspiracy theories about that prince, kid?” he laughs. “They say he’s alive. That a man on the island can create false bodies. That Tron saved him.” 

 “Tron? I and II?”

 “That’s right. Something like that at least.” 

 “I wish I could believe that. But right now. I think there’s more comfort believing he’s waiting for me. We’ll be together very soon.” He smiles, eyes falling shut and he feels IV break into a run. He wishes IV would sit and hear his last confession, but he knows he won’t. “My brothers and I were seperated when the Heartland empire took over. Our father betrayed us. I thought he’d died. But I found out recently he’s still alive.”

 “Byron’s a bastard like that.”

 “Byron… Then you know? You know who I am? Who my brothers are? Who we were? About our father?” IV doesn’t reply and Michael grasps his arms. “Please, IV! I’m going to die, I want to know at least one person in this world knew the real me!”

 

 IV stops and lets out a sigh. “You’re late.”

 “You hardly gave me the best instructions,” snaps another voice. Michael’s eyes crack open. There’s a silver haired man gazing down at them. “Is he…?”

 “That’s right,” IV whispers. He transfers Michael to the other man’s arms, no matter how he tries to hang onto IV. But he smiles and brushes Michael’s hair from his eyes. “III… Prince Michael Arclight of Heraldic. I know you. Don’t you worry about that. And so does Durbe.” 

 “What about you?” Michael cries, trembling hands grasping at IV’s. “Please. Please, before I can’t hear anymore.”

 IV shakes his head. “88. Former Paladin First Class, Photon Leo.”

 Michael nods a little and Durbe puts him on a chaser behind him with a murmur to hold on because they will be going dangerously fast. Michael does his best, gazing down at IV as the chaser takes off. IV is gazing back. 

 And in the moonlight, Michael is saw he sees someone else gazing up at him. 

 “Thomas…”


End file.
